Vintage Photos
This is a photo of my very elegant grandmother, Sushila Rao, posing with her new camera in India, where she was born and raised. It was probably taken sometime in the 1940s. She's wearing a tailored, white linen suit and flat, brown leather sandals, which make her look so strong despite the fact that she's very petite. It was very daring of her to be out and about in menswear back then, rather than a traditional sari!
-Tejal
-Tejal
Comments on "Vintage Photos"
lovely
http://www.jnsoo.blogspot.com/
I love these vintage photos. They offer such a great insight into other people's backgrounds.
http://www.gingerfashionmonsters.blogspot.com
love this..to wear that in 40's india is very daring indeed
What a stylish lady, and a great photo! So innovative to wear a suit in that era, especially in such a traditional society.
Just LOVE ;)
NEW IN: SAC "luggage Phantom" CELINE
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amazing photo :)
Catflicks
Una foto preciosa
WOW! Enchanting!
so stylish!!!
and glad that vintage pic from india got featured!!!
Amazing picture.
She looks stunning and quite modern especially in the 1940s! x
She is beautiful and looks so comfortable in herself. To our grandmothers!
Thank you for sharing this
<3
OH HEYYYY SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE TECHNICALLY PART INDIAN.
thats pretty cool.
and thats amazing that she wore a suit in those times. I know how strict traditions were.
This is an amazing picture.
What a beautiful and strong woman! Love thus photo!
This is great. Love her sly smile and slinging hip.
What a beauty!
Beautiful woman - very stylish and independent. I'm really enjoying these vintage photos. They're a wonderful glimpse into real fashion history.
The Styleseer
http://styleseer.blogspot.com
Beautiful! She looks so contemporary and effortlessly cool in that suit.
LOVE old photos, just found some amazing shots of my grandparents and parents back in the day, and they had so much style. My grandfather naturally dressed like any man worth putting on the Sartorialist , I've pulled it out of a giant pile of pictrues to hang on to these for ever, and show my kids one day how cool their family is :p
http://www.pinkpeonieswithlove.blogspot.com
she's so beautiful!
and stylish, too.
agnes / iiiinspired
:)
photography runs in the family I see
same in my case but no vintage photo's to prove it :-(
beautiful lady, great look
Cool outfit - cool grandmother! ;-)
What an amazing and strong look. I am sure she caused a stirr that time in India.
Beautiful!
http://annebernecker.wordpress.com/
i love this photo. she was probably from a good and wealthy family. that usually when the girls would wear western clothing and pants and such.i love you even more the fact that you're indian. what part of india are you from?
What a beautiful picutre
Wow! That is daring! She must have been a force to be reckoned with!
She's so cute and fashionable!
www.modeuncover.com
Loving the family ties, quite the picture to frame
DoublClik Photo Blog
She really looks lovely and so elegant!
DIARY OF A FASHION STYLIST_
http://valentineavoh.blogspot.com/
Absolutely devine ... a gorgeous girl in pants with her box brownie; ready for anything! A beautiful contribution to Vintage Photos for the Sartorialist.
Bernadette
www.enrobe-moi.com
I guess I can see on the photo where your passion for photography comes from ;)
her outfit is really beautiful !
www.cardiganpumpkin.blogspot.com
These vintage photographs are a portal to a sort of space-time-fashion continuum. While aesthetically pleasing, they also tap into our collective subconsciousness, in my opinion.
I'd love a suit like that today. She looks both adorable and confident. Go gramma go!
Go grandma! I love seeing the spunk and vitality of people of a different generation.
I ADORE this photo! My grandmother is Anglo-Indian and I love her ridiculous stories from when she lived in India until she was 18. Wish I could find some amazing photos like this in her collection xx
http://helloprocrastination.blogspot.com/
Not only she is very very elegant ! but, she is absolutely beautifuuuuu! ! ravissante !
http://monsacbyme.com
Wow!! She must be really bold to be in men's wear and not in a sari back then! I mean, many women now still only limit their wardrobe to saris.
Loving this picture!!
beautiful....her style is like an Indian Coco Chanel
yessiricanboogie-greggy.blogspot.com
If only young women today could look so unselfconsciously stylish. As the viewer can see, it's not "exquisite tailoring" that makes an outfit desirable, rather it's natural mien of the person wearing it.
Cool. I liked it too.
http://prisonerofashion.blogspot.com
She is amazing.. I admire your grandmother
She is so beautiful. Very radical dressing indeed for those times. I'd love to see what she wore as a grandmother. Must be just as interesting.
She is terribly cute ! So witty and chic ! Sunny Side
She's beautiful.
All exquisite perfumes are laget in small sizes...
This picture is amazing. Your description and the story behind it make it all that more powerful. Thank you for pulling this one up
SHe has a bright smile.
This is an amazing photo. Your description and the story behind it make it all that more impressive. Thanks for pulling this up!
This is a gorgeous photo - I LOVE it!
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What a great photograph! Bold and needless to say, stylish, people like your grandmother who paved the way for a more liberated India for women. Serious respect for a very stylish lady who was way ahead of her times!
Great photograph! Bold and needless to say, stylish women like this lady paved the way for a liberated India for women. Serious respect for a very stylish woman who was way ahead of her times!
I immediately want to read her biography! Couldn't be more lovely.
Very daring of her, considering the time. Love it.
She is stunning, and so inspiring! Love this.
A picture really does say 1,000 words...that look...that smile...that menswear suit...an amazing thing for a young woman in India back then, wow!
love this photo, it seems so special like her :)
she is beautiful..so feminine in a masculine garb..it was indeed very radical for an indian girl/lady to be seen in western attire back then..xx meenal
She is lovely.
I love this vintage pics too.
They driving me to 1000 possible stories.
Sartorialist:
Is this YOUR grandmother or are you quoting someone's contribution? I'm confused.
Either way, I love the shot and outfit. Trousers on females can be very classy.
What a beautiful woman!
http://leblogdecitadine.wordpress.com
She's fierce!
inspirational. X
www.thehemlinesandtheheadlines.blogspot.com
More than a vintage photo it's an eternal one. Her eyes are so expressive - full of promisses, hope and self-confidant. Lovely Lady!
Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful!!! Lovely smile
Gorgeous...she is so young and has a real presence.
I was at a barn sale today, and was so heartbroken to see all the family albums and wedding albums strewn away at the passing of a loved one - can't they just scan the pics and then toss them? I belive this doesn't happen because they are all neatly arranged in the album - maybe there children would have been interested? Oh well....bravo for honoring your grandma in her prime!!
I'm wondering how old she might have been there?
Aside from her whole look, i think that her face is so very beutyful!
Amazing photo.
amazing! she is so beautiful!
So pretty!
theBohmerian.com
She's an inspiration not just to Indian women but every women? Be strong ladies!
love it!
i love seeing these old photos. it's such a charming reminder that though people are now older, they were once young with stylish and adventurous lives.
the young woman pictured here is very cute. i'd love to see the work she made with that camera.
*sP
She's beautiful & elegant!
to the person at the "barn sale". you can collect those photo albums and donate them to the local historical society. those kinds of documents help bricolage together a local image of time and place. please,go gettem!
*sP
Beautiful woman (:
beautiful face and so chic and daring in pants! thanks for sharing
Amazing . . .
love vintage photos
http://last24h.blogspot.com/
Beautiful picture! :)
x
http://yonder-wonderland.blogspot.com/
This is very, very cool.
Your grandma is stunning. I love her confidence!
the only thing that gives away the age is the camera, she is right in fashion today! and she is absolutely beautiful, this photo is breathtaking
Brilliant. Elegant, stylish and going against the tide
style personified. Fabulous
Lucky to find this Great photo nice that you share with us your background.
Very Chic Grandma and pretty too.
x
www.desperatelyseekingpegase.com
strong look even 60ish years later. style never goes out of fashion
cool photo
Wow! The Katherine Hepburn of India . . .
lovely indeed :)
Wonderfully daring! Marlene Dietrich and Katherine Hepburn were already ahead of their time in the West. But in Asia? Really aeons ahead.
I love this!
Good god... what spectacular beauty.
Very nice!
I'm in love with this photo. You must be very proud!
I love it, it's a litle magic when seeing our grandparent's youth
how wonderful
Wow, that photo is amazing! And your grandmother is soo beautiful and has incredible sense of style :)
This is avantgarde!
She sure myst have been a courageous wonman indeed! And very stylish indeed.
respect!!!
she looked wonderful and elegant and like she knew what she wanted.
Fantastic photo, really interesting to see something like this - very unusual.
styleflourish.blogspot.com
I like her face. it´s so friendly, but looking at her eyes, she knows what she wants. an interessting woman!
Wonderful.
http://bellasbitsandbobs.blogspot.com/
she is like a French actress...
Amazing, stylish and gorgeous. Daring look back in those days. Nice shot!
www.ourbubble.nl
perfection...thank-you~
Amazing piece of history - thank you for sharing something a little more personal!
Tikkitiboo + Ahka Blog
Oh she is so cool. A great reminder to explore beyond what's trendy or socially acceptable.
Elisa
thebod.clothing
http://thebodclothing.blogspot.com/
wow.. Even though its a vintage photo,the look is so fresh. That chic,smart look never grows old. So pretty! Vbx
http://vintagebeasty.blogspot.com/
OMG, she's gorgeous!
this image is stunning and inspiring.
Wow, great - especially considering she was in India "sometime in the 1940s"... really quite daring... :)
http://www.isthisitmodelsreview.com/
What a wonderful photo. She looks so happy, so confident.
What a beautiful woman, it is amazing how elegant they were in their linens and beiges, out in nature's own. A bygone era that still resonates to our instincts, maybe even more so since we are often so removed from nature in in front of screens and machines. http://oslolook.blogspot.com/
My only problem with this photo is, that it was taken in 1940, and,
I'm trying to find a woman who looks, dresses, and carries herself like this today. Sad fact is how very far we've fallen sartorially (and otherwise) in 70 years.
She is unselfconsciously stylish and immaculately turned out, and has not an inch of skin exposed.
And, more than all of that, she just looks like a very interesting person. A woman of substance.
Bella figura.
amazing...
That is a beautiful photo, not only because of her outfit, but the sense of spirit her clothes, camera, and smile indicate. Thanks for posting it.
WIth so many comments here on how "forward" it must have been for her to dress that way, it becomes clear that our collective assumption is that India/Asia are timelessly traditional societies, thus this photo can seem ahead of its time. We also have the assumption of linear "progress" endorsed by traditional versions of feminism, namely, with each passing decade, humans become more liberated and women especially become more liberated.
These assumptions make it hard to imagine that Indian women in the 1940s may have felt more comfortable in a pantsuit than say Indian women of the 1970s, 80s, or to the present. This photograph, like many others found in archives and home collections, however, show that in fact women were more likely to dress in a non-Sari in the 1940s than the present. Indeed Indian women have "become traditional" over time in order to express a distinctive Indian identity and the pressures to do so are only increasing in India where nationalists are gaining more and more control over women's bodies. Clothing choices are no small part of that.
Great photo nonetheless, and thanks for posting both it and my comment.
Indian women are the most beautiful in the world!
wow so very cute and chic
www.herpersona.blogspot.com
beautiful photo !! stylish, immaculate and effortlessly flamboyant !!
however, all the talk about wearing a suit meaning merely progressive is a bit redundant. true that such a thing evidently challenges stereotypes about the dressing scene in early 20th century Asian societies, I believe such a thing was not entirely unheard of. Women from progressive backgrounds were never averse to Western wear, and it was fairly common to find women fashionably attired as such.
However, I also believe the aesthetic appeal of a saree - a single garment that can be draped in over a hundred ways and more -made it more than just an outfit; it was,as it is today, a way of life in South Asia. Designers continue to innovate with it, and a saree worn well is not only comfortable, it's versatility - as an evening wear, a household dress or for practically any other occasion one could think of, makes it as popular among women of all ages and backgrounds as it was centuries ago.
Stunning! And adorable too :O)
Love. LOve. LOVE! More beautiful, knowing and
Stylish than the suit is her face! An inspiration!
It's nice to see some diversity on this blog.
Beautiful! This photo would be lovely even without the backstory. With it it is even better.
40's-70's were a remarkably progressive time, women were treated with a lot more respect in India then they are now. wonder why.
have a ton of pics of my mom in flare bottoms and floral shirts from the 70s...
very cool.
Inspired to post photos of my grandmother's too! Like civilian says I think alot more ladies wore pants back in the 1940s than in the 60-70s.
Alternatively, my Maternal Grandmother was british and came to India and switched instantly to saris. She wore them for 70+ years and so gracefully!
Oh wow, what a lovely photo and sooo inspiring!
WOW...such an stylish person your grandma!i could be wearing today that suit and flats...isn't it amazing how fashion comes, goes, and comes again?
thank you scott for sharing with us this precious treasures!
love from barcelona!
Eli&Eli
from www.lostinvogue.com
So chic and avante garde.
LOVELY! :D
What a sweet smile... enjoy your photos!
Whit the style of Marlene Dietrich.Perfekt!
loving the pants!!
http://heelsandinspiration.blogspot.com/
what a beaut from the past! love you and all your class!
www.shervinsworld.com
One of the most elegant women I've ever seen
Amazing Pic...
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I am going to invent a time machine, just so I can go back and court your grandmother.
Aloha,
Poinz
wow..she looks very happy!
cactusandcucumber.blogspot.com
It is a very striking photo. Your grandmother has great presence.
these vintage pics are always so surprising, they still look modern and stylish!
I love this picture! Just the way the lady holds herself-very BOLD.
I must say though (I might be complicating things here but I need to get this out), most people here assume that because the lady is wearing westernized clothing, that she is fashionable and progressive. I for one, don't agree with that viewpoint. As a non- Indian, I find Indian clothing extremely stylish and feminine. Embracing one's culture and fashion and trends pertaining to that culture does not mean that a person is not progressive. I find the sari very flattering and would like to see variations of Indian cloting in our western culture. Now THAT is fashionable and forward-embracing other cultures (whichever they may be) and creating a fusion out of fashion. Fashion like any other ART form is borderless and universal.
she is very beautiful. love the menswear on women - and good for wearing it!
superbe!!!
this one is my particular favorite among other vintage photos here! i have always admired when a person (man or woman, doesn't matter) can look daring but humble at the same time. that's class for me.
This could well be the most appealing photograph I have ever seen.
She is beautiful. Absolutely stunning!
Beautiful! <3
Thanks for posting the vintage photos, they're often interesting. Forgive me if I'm wrong but I noticed there is an attribution to 'Tejal'. Suggesting the lovely Sushila is not Scott's Grandmother, for those that were confused.
gooood story, nice to see the early breaking of tradition
I can't get enough of these vintage pictures! So beautiful and so inspirational.
www.runwayrundown.com
she is real coolness considering the time and place it was taken! I d be so proud of having such a brave&stylish grandmother!!
You can tell how bold and daring this woman is not only by the lack of her wearing a sari, but also by her sweet and spicy attitude in this photo. Wonderful!
onlywhenyoure17.blogspot.com
she's so beautiful! thank you for sharing her. love her smile and the light in her eyes. (and the great suit, too!)
Thank you to everyone who left such nice comments--it's very moving. Since sending this photo in to Scott, my beautiful grandmother passed away, so it's emotional but also delightful to see the picture shared here. It was always my favorite.
LOVE HER!! She looks so smart and fun! She must be one h**l of a great grandmother!
Amazing. Love vintage in all its forms, photos, clothes, movies everything.
http://stylishconfessions.blogspot.com/
Aw, so elegant. Doesn't the girl two photos later (above) echo her sweetly? They could be grandmother and grand-daughter.
SO elegant...
Love vintage photos...! and this are so amazingg.. so elegant! really like it!
mertxehernandez.blogspot
No wonder Scott is so handsome, grandma is a stunner! And she looks like the lady with her mother's hand me down dress a wee bit too
She's great! And love her smile!
DELICIOSA LA FOTO!
Those of you comparing this photo to the girl, two photos up - this charming lady seems to have a strength the young girl in the vintage dress lacks...
great
Nice!
AMAZING!!!!!!!!
olguiscloset.blogspot.com
So cool! Love the vintage pictures. I want to know these people!
Wonderful!
You can tell by looking at the expression on her face that she is very a confident and forward thinking lady. She looks like an adventuress. She is also very beautiful and stylish.
flawless.
I love these vintage photos. This one is really wonderful - she is fantastic and definitely ahead of her time in that suit. Beautiful!!
lovely!!
I know a girl from India who is also naturally very petite (about 75 pounds, height around 4"11'), she's sooooo sweet, smart and beautiful (super thick long wavy black hair, olive skin, big dark brown eyes). From the description and smile of that woman on the picture I feel like my friend and her are very alike. This attitude shines through.
Beautiful picture!
My absolute favourite vintage photo yet...love the cheeky smile she has as well!
The picture, the lady and the suite are gorgeous, she looks so modern!
What a beautiful, elegant photo! Thank you so much for sharing it! I won't soon forget it. Xx :-)